A different tune

Composers are increasingly turning singers for other music directors and belting out chartbusters

The year was 1944. Yesteryear composer and singer Hemant Kumar made his debut as a singer for music director K.Amarnath in Iraada. The maestro followed it up with hits like Yeh raat yeh chandni in Jaal and Jaane woh kaise log the in Pyaasa that he sang for S D Burman even after he turned composer.

Cut to 2010. After delivering chartbusters like Dhan te nan (Kaminey) for Vishal Bhardwaj and Kurbaan hua (Kurbaan) for Salim-Sulaiman, Vishal Dadlani croons Paathshaala khushnuma for composer Hanif Sheikh in the Shahid Kapoor film Paathshaala. The situation is the same - composers crooning for other music directors: all that has changed is the time and music.

With his unusual voice quality, composer and singer Vishal is the current favourite of many music directors. He has sung chartbusters for Pritam, Rajesh Roshan and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Vishal is not the only composer who has sung for other music directors. After crooning Boondon se for Amit Trivedi in Wake Up Sid for the first time, Salim Merchant has recently sung Aye khuda for Sheikh in Paathshaala.

Sheikh explains why he opted for Salim. “We tried out many singers for Aye khuda. But we just couldn’t get the right voice. We were looking for a voice that had a connection with God and would be able to reach out to everyone. When Salim sang the song, we realised that he was the right choice. He’s an extremely positive and jovial person and has lent this positivity to the song.”

As for Vishal, Sheikh confesses, “Paathshala khushnuma is a revolutionary kind of a song that urges people to wake up and take up new challenges. It demanded a versatile singer with a rough texture and I felt that Vishal was the right choice for it.”

The interesting aspect about this new trend is that most of these composers-turned-singers are not professional playback singers. Vishal, the lead vocalist of rock band Pentagram, opines, “I’m not a playback singer. I only sing for people I know and admire. Rather than singing for composers who want me to croon in the typical Dhan te nan style, I prefer singing for those who let me try out different styles.”

This change is clearly evident in his repertoire. On one hand, he impresses us with his mellifluous tone in the title-track of Pyaar Impossible, while on the other hand, he compels us to hit the dance floor with his energetic rendition of Dhan te nan in Kaminey. The composer-singer, who has also sung for Rajesh Roshan in Kites and for Ankur Tewari in It’s A Wonderful Afterlife, feels that music directors opt for him as they prefer his voice texture.

Salim, who shot to fame with his brother Sulaiman after giving the background score for films like Hameshaa, Bhoot, Dostana, Dhoom:2 and Singh Is Kingg to name a few, confesses that he’s petrified of singing for other composers. “I’m not a professionally-trained singer. I have been trying to hide away from other music composers for the longest time. Honestly, I feel very scared to sing for someone else.”

This confession comes as a surprise as he has sung for films like Fashion, Luck, Teen Patti and Rocket Singh - Salesman Of The Year, for all of which he has created music with his brother. “I’m just a song writer who sets tune to the lyrics and then sings a part of the song to see how the tune sounds. But most of the times after hearing it, directors like it and want to retain my voice.”
The composer, who has crooned hits like Shukran Allah (Kurbaan), Alisha (Pyaar Impossible) and Khudaya ve (Luck) explains that music is the best form of expression and good music is something that touches the soul. “I have been singing at least one song in movies where Sulaiman and I have given music, but I don’t want to exploit myself as I’m not too confident.”

But does he give inputs while singing for other directors? Salim clarifies, “I make some suggestions while singing for others, but I don’t interfere too much.”
However, the basic question is that are these collaborations solely due to a result of camaraderie between the composers or do they provide any value addition to the compositions? Composer Shekhar Ravjiani crooned Yeh zindagi bhi for friends Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy for the first time in Luck By Chance. The classically-trained singer who has earlier lent his voice for Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi, Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd and Bachna Ae Haseeno (where he also composed music with Vishal), declares that camaraderie between the music fraternity is a key factor.

“Shankar, who’s a close friend, asked me to sing for Luck By Chance. All of us are friends and have a lot of love and respect for each other. At the end of the day, we are looking for a voice that does justice to the song. It doesn’t matter whether it’s that of a professional playback or a composer turned singer.”

Composer Shantanu Moitra, who has given us hits like Piyu bole (Parineeta), Baanwra mann (Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi) and Aal izz well (Three Idiots) says, “Comfort level plays a crucial role, but that’s not the only factor. Lyricist Swanand Kirkire has sung for almost all my films. I use him as a singer as I like his vocal texture.”

This trend, however, doesn’t affect the cost factor. Shantanu says, “This arrangement usually fits into the budget that is allocated for music.” But there are some like Salim who sing free for friends. “When it comes to friends, I don’t charge for singing,” says Salim.

But one wonders why composers rope in other directors to croon for them when they can easily get any renowned singer to belt out the numbers? Music directors say that the choice of singer completely depends upon the song’s demand. Like Vishal-Shekhar, who were the first to rope in composer Bappi Lahiri for Mumbai nagariya for Milan Luthria’s Taxi No. 9211. This was quite a feat as Lahiri had never sung for anyone else. “We were looking out for a unique sound for Mumbai nagariya and actually wanted a voice with which people could immediately identify,” explains Dadlani.

The duo has also opted for singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan in movies like Bachna Ae Haseeno, Dostana and Aladin. Dadlani says, “We will continue using Shankar as he’s a fabulous singer and elevates the song to another level.” Vishal-Shekhar are now keen on working with Vishal Bhardwaj and Salim Merchant for their mellifluous yet unconventional voices.

Salim attributes this trend of composers turning singers to the changing music scenario. “The Hindi film industry is undergoing a phase where people are craving to hear new, unconventional voices. There are many opportunities for every singer to experiment with his voice and add something new to the songs. We are looking for novelty and want to create songs that have a fresh sound. I hope this trend of composers turning singers stays.”

Vishal couldn’t agree more. He explains that reinvention is the norm of the day. “Apart from composers roping in new singers, the present lot of singers are constantly reinventing themselves. Take for instance Sonu Niigaam who has been around for a really long time but still surprises everyone with his effortless ability to reinvent himself.”

Blame it on the comfort factor or a new-age trend, composers donning the singer’s hat for other music directors is something that’s likely to stay. But we are not complaining as long as we get to hear some good music.